Nitsana Darshan-Leitner responds to PA Minister of Justice: Shurat Hadin
will file against PA at ICC
13 April 2014

IMRA to Nitsana Darshan-Leitner:

Dear Nitsana,

Palestinian minister of justice Ali Muhanna told Ma'an: that Israel "cannot
engage in any legal action at the ICC because Israel is not a signatory to
the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Such legal proceedings
are submitted through the ICC's Attorney General or through the UN Security
Council."

Would appreciate your comment for distribution by IMRA.

Thanks!

Best regards,
Aaron

Nitsana Darshan-Leitner to IMRA:

Dear Aaron,
This is true. Israel is not a signatory to the time treaty and therefore
cannot be a member in the ICC. Therefore she cannot file indictments in the
ICC. However, NGOs have standing in the ICC, and therefore Shurat Hardin
will file these cases.

=============
New Israeli legal campaign accuses Abbas of 'terrorism'
Published today (updated) 12/04/2014 22:33
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=689413

JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Right-wing Israeli political parties have begun a
campaign to sue president Abbas for "war crimes" at the International
Criminal Court in response to the Palestinian Authority's recent decision to
join international conventions and treaties.

The campaign comes amid a near breakdown in ongoing peace negotiations
between Israel and the PLO, and seeks to file legal procedures against Abbas
accusing him of supporting "terrorism" and aiding to terrorist
organizations.

Beginning on Friday, Israeli newspapers and websites have published
advertisements calling on Israeli lawyers to join the campaign led by the
Israel Law Center to sue Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on charges of
supporting terrorist organizations.

One of the prominent leaders of the campaign is chairman of the Jewish Home
party Naftali Bennett, who has been a vocal critic of peace negotiations
between Israelis and Palestinians.

An ad in the Israeli daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth features president
Abbas behind bars with a phrase in Arabic reading, "We will terrorize him in
The Hague."

Palestinian officials, however, have downplayed the move, pointing out that
Israel cannot pursue legal action at the international court due to its own
failure to sign the treaties.

Palestinian minister of justice Ali Muhanna told Ma'an that the Israeli
government had "lost balance both politically and legally."

Their response, he said, reflects the degree of rage in Israel towards the
PA for attempting to join international conventions.

Muhanna confirmed that Israel "cannot engage in any legal action at the ICC
because Israel is not a signatory to the Rome Statute of the International
Criminal Court."

"Such legal proceedings are submitted through the ICC's Attorney General or
through the UN Security Council."

"Abbas' move isn't a war crime. But the ongoing Israeli settlement
construction, confiscation of Palestinian money, killing and detention of
children are war crimes," he added.

The campaign comes amid a growing crisis in peace negotiations between
Israel and the PLO.

Palestinian officials applied to join 15 international conventions last week
after Israel failed to release a fourth batch of veteran prisoners as
previously agreed upon.

The move angered Israeli authorities, who have since called for an end to
coordination with the Palestinian Authority.

Peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians were relaunched in July under
the auspices of the US after nearly three years of impasse.

Israel's government has announced the construction of thousands of settler
housing units and its army has killed 60 Palestinians in the West Bank and
Gaza since the negotiations began.
________________________________________
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